Norwegian cuisine

Iryna Yevlakhovych 11-A

Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway and its mountains, wilderness and coast. It differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus on game and fish. Many of the traditional dishes are results of using conserved materials, as respect to the long winters.

Typical Main MealsMost Norwegians eat three or four regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold (usually packed) lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family. Depending on the timing of family dinner (and personal habit), some may add a cold meal in the late evening, typically a simple sandwich.

Breakfast (frokost)The basic Norwegian breakfast consists of milk or fruit juice, coffee (or more rarely tea), and open sandwiches with meat cuts, spreads, cheese or jam. Cereals such as corn flakes, muesli and oatmeal are also popular, particularly with children.

Dinner (middag)This is the meal that is considered the "warm" meal of the day and is eaten between 4 and 6pm. The rest of the meals served throughout the day are generally cold. Some foods eaten at this time would be fish with boiled potatoes and vegetables.

MeatPreserved meat and sausages come in a large variety of regional variations, and are usually accompanied by sour cream dishes and flat bread or wheat/potato wraps. Particularly sought after delicacies include the fenalår, a slowcured lamb's leg, and morr, usually a smoked cured sausage, though the exact definition may vary regionally.

Lamb's meat and mutton is very popular in autumn, mainly used in fårikål (mutton stew with cabbage). Pinnekjøtt, cured and sometimes smoked mutton ribs that are steamed for several hours, is traditionally served as Christmas dinner in the western parts of Norway. Another Western specialty is smalahove, a smoked lamb's head.

Kjøttkaker (meatcakes)Kjøttboller (meatballs)Svinekoteletter (pork chops)Svinestek (roast pork) Lapskaus (stew)Fårikål (mutton stew)Stekte pølser (fried sausages)Syltelabb (boiled, saltcured pig's trotter)Pinnekjøtt with swede purée and potatoesSmalahove (sheep's head)Sodd (souplike meal with mutton and meatballs)

GameHigh cuisine is very reliant on game, such as moose, reindeer, mountain hare, duck, rock ptarmigan and fowl. These meats are often hunted and sold or passed around as gifts, but are also available at shops nationwide, and tend to be served at social occasions. Because these meats have a distinct, strong taste, they will often be served with rich sauces spiced with crushed juniper berries, and a sour-sweet jam of lingonberries on the side.

SeafoodA large number of fish dishes are popular today, based on such species as salmon, cod, herring, sardine, and mackerel. Seafood is used fresh, smoked, salted or pickled. Variations on creamed seafood soups are common along the coastline. A number of the fish species available have traditionally been avoided or reserved for bait, but most common seafood is part of the modern menu.

Due to seafood's availability, seafood dishes along the coast are usually based on fresh produce, typically poached and very lightly spiced with herbs, pepper and salt. While coastal Norwegians may consider the head, roe and liver an inseparable part of a seafood meal, most inland restaurants don`t include these in the meal.

Rakfisk Torsk – CodLutefisk (lyed fish)Stekt fisk (braised fish)Fiskesuppe (fish soup)Sursild (pickled herring)

Fruit and dessertsFruits and berries mature slowly in the cold climate. Strawberries, bilberries, lingonberries, raspberries and apples are popular and are part of a variety of desserts, and cherries in the parts of the country where those are grown. The wild growing cloudberry is regarded as a delicacy. A typical Norwegian dessert on special occasions is cloudberries with whipped or plain cream. Strawberry-Apple pie is also popular because of its rich flavor of strawberries and apples.

German and Nordic-style cakes and pastries, such as sponge cakes and Danish pastry share the table with a variety of home-made cakes, waffles and cookies. Another Norwegian cake is Krumkake. During Jul, the traditional Norwegian Holiday season, many different dessert dishes are served including Julekake and Multekrem.

CheeseCheese is still extremely popular in Norway, though the variety of traditional products available and commonly in use is severely reduced.

BrunostFløtemysostGamalostJarlsberg KavliNøkkelostPrimostPultostSnøfrisk

BeveragesNorway has lots of special drinks in its cuisine. And it has also a particularly strong affinity for coffee – it is the second highest consumer of coffee in the world. With the average Norwegian drinking 142 liters of coffee in a year. Coffee plays a large role in Norwegian culture, and it is common to invite people over for coffee and cakes, and to enjoy cups of coffee with dessert after the main courses in get-togethers.